The much-anticipated India vs England five-match Test series is poised to commence on January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. With England aspiring to replicate their 2012 success, where they clinched a 2-1 victory in a four-match series on Indian soil, the focus intensifies on Rohit Sharma and his team as they strive to maintain their decade-long undefeated streak against the Three Lions in Test series at home. A captivating clash awaits as star players on both sides gear up for a showdown.
Among the key figures, Virat Kohli, India’s veteran batter, inevitably finds himself in the spotlight. As the series draws near, England pacer Ollie Robinson has already ignited the anticipation by shedding light on his on-field duels with Kohli. Robinson acknowledged Kohli’s “big ego,” setting the stage for an intriguing battle between bat and ball.
Ollie Robinson said: “You always want to play against the best players, don’t you? And you always want to get the best players out. Kohli is one of those. He’s got a big ego and I think playing on that, especially in India, where he is going to want to dominate and score runs, playing on the fact we’ve had battles in the past, is exciting.”
In a recent development, Virat Kohli, who often stands as a symbol of consistency, encountered an unprecedented setback. During the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan in Bengaluru, Kohli faced a golden duck for the first time in T20I cricket. His quest for a historic milestone of 12,000 runs in T20 cricket was cut short when he miscued an elevated shot off the bowling of Fareed Ahmad on the very first ball he faced.
The disappointment resonated in the Bengaluru crowd as Ibrahim Zadran made an easy catch at mid-off, leaving Kohli to rue a missed opportunity. This marked Kohli’s 35th duck in international cricket, surpassing the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who had 34 international ducks in his illustrious career. Notably, the overall record for the most ducks in international cricket belongs to Zaheer Khan, with 44 ducks.
As the cricketing world gears up for the Test series, Kohli’s rare duck in the T20 format adds an unexpected layer of intrigue to the narrative, setting the stage for a series that promises both individual and collective battles between the cricketing giants, India and England. The dynamics of the game are bound to keep fans on the edge of their seats throughout the forthcoming series.
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